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Clinical Matters Newsletter - March 2025

In this issue...

  1. General Updates
  2. Health Pathways updates
  3. Pharmacy Updates

General Updates

Health Advisory - HIV Awareness

Reference Links

Pathlab - Sample Retention Period

Health Pathways Updates

Kaupapa Māori ACC Navigation

Effective 5 March 2025, a new BPAC eReferral is available for Kaupapa Māori ACC Navigation.

Focus On Potential eReferral

Effective 12 March 2025, an eReferral for Focus On Potential service is available in BPAC for Bay of Plenty, Lakes and Waikato Districts.

Real Whetū Marewa Youth eReferral

Effective from 9 April 2025, an eReferral to the Real Whetū Marewa Youth Community Mobile Mental Health and Addictions Service will be available on BPAC.

New and Updated Health Pathways

Go to HealthPathways Midland https://midland.communityhealthpathways.org for the new and updated pathways below.

  • High control group harm, leavers
  • Corns and calluses
  • WINZ funding
  • ACC
  • Lactation support
  • Lead poisoning

 

Pharmacy Updates

STALEVO

Prescribe only one tablet per dose

You have probably seen the new funded option for Parkinson’s Disease Stalevo levodopa + carbidopa + entacapone - New Zealand Formulary

There are 4 different funded strengths with increasing levodopa/carbidopa strengths. 

Internationally, dispensing issues have arisen when substituting 2x tablets of levodopa 50 mg/carbidopa 12.5 mg/entacapone 200 mg for levodopa 100 mg/carbidopa 25 mg/entacapone 200 mg dose resulting in a double dose of entacapone leading to agitation in patients. We will write to community pharmacists about this but it may be prudent to share this info with your GP colleagues and advise to always prescribe only 1 tablet per dose of Stalevo - as per the advice on the NZF.

DABIGATGRAN

OK for one month in compliance packaging per dose

There is now some limited stability data under NZ conditions to support the packaging of dabigatran into compliance packaging. Stability of the dabigatran significantly declined after 8 weeks so we would recommend that only one month of dabigatran is decanted into compliance packaging in advance. Consider alternative/not compliance packing if patient requires more than a month supply at a time eg travelling.

Ref: Noori Z, Griffiths D, Jung S et al. Improving adherence by investigating the stability of dabigatran outside of the manufacturer’s original packaging: a New Zealand perspective. Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery. 24 Dec 2024

 For more information contact: Lauren Bradley, Pharmacist - Medication Safety and Clinical Governance

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